Controlled Karaoke: Arashi Coming To A Japanese Textbook Near You

ByPatrick St. Michel

Because what Japan needed was even more Arashi…everyone’s favorite Johnny’s boy band will soon appear in school libraries all over Japan. The group star in a new Japanese textbook called “Nippon No Arashi” which uses the member’s various adventures in Japan as jumping off points for lessons about the country and its history. Whatever gets kids to read, I guess.

Beyond just being a goofy piece of toss-away news, this announcement pretty much continues driving home the point Arashi have become THE spotlight music act in Japan. Recall earlier in the year they also became the “Face Of Japan” by the Japanese Tourism Ministry, and they seem way more prevalent in everyday life than SMAP or any other J-Pop group at the moment. The common stereotype hurled at the Japanese music industry is that they chew up and spit out acts on a near monthly basis. Well, it can also be fiercely dependent on certain musical outfits, and Arashi have become the go-to unit for the industry.

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